She Just Said Something Even Dumber

What a war-monger. For someone who claims to be a "professional" journalist, thereby implying a modicum of intelligence and the ability to think, Jessica McBride continues to bewilder. She posted this on Thursday:

(The Politico) President Bush said today if the Iraqi government were to ask the United States to leave Iraq, he would grant the request."We are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This is a sovereign nation. Twelve million people went to the polls to approve a constitution. It's their government's choice,’’ the president said during a Rose Garden news conference. "If they were to say leave, we would leave."

We should leave Iraq when doing so will not harm OUR national security. Period.

If Iraq becomes a haven for Al-Qaida or Iran, we'll be back there anyway. Finish the job.


So, now, the wishes of the government of a sovereign nation, one elected in a democratic election, one which we backed, do not count. Her lack of depth and her shallowness of character is astounding. No wonder WTMJ canned her. Not even lying Charlie Sykes or the bland blow-up buddy, mushroom eating Jeff Wagner, would say anything as stupid as what she did. Belling might ... but they're made for each other anyway.

What He Really Meant ...

Stalwart Republican and humble guy, Owen Robinson, has published his "Pledge for the Taxpayers." He sent the pledge to Assembly Republicans in an effort to publicize their position on tax increases, etc. Other Side, in a breaking news story (if the incredibly self important Saint Fred Dooley of RealDebate can do it, why can't we) has been provided with the first, unedited copy of Robinson's pledge (spelling and grammatical errors left intact). If it is true that the first thoughts written are often the truest, this version of the pledge tells quite a different story.


Dear Fellow Rebiblicans,

As nyou are all painful, the budget season is on us. To date the Republicans on the Joint Finace committee is a goal of mine have been unsuccessful in the massive spenfing and rax increases that my Govenor Doyle want to foist on ME.

I the taxpayers have a single hope ... ME. It is with each of you that the responsibility fior proitecting my assets rests. At convention last week, Speaker Huebsch said, "we will stand in the way of Jim Doyle and his tax increases, you can count on that." Well, I am counting on that. Indeed, i am inisistubng on it. It is all about me!!

Therefore, I am asking everyone to pledge that you woll not vote for a budget that includes any increase of my taxes or any fee increases that aren't directly related to delivering more services to me. If this leads to no budget being passed anytime soon, and all services are shut down and helpless old ladies in their homes are denied 911 service when they clap on clap off and potholes are not filled (except on the street directly in front of my home), t5hen so be it ... I'm a heartless fart. The Republican party should be p[roud of being obstructionist to be the party that obstructs my tax and fee increses - especilly because I am so overwhelmed by tax increases that I could't get my threee SUVs washed last week pay for that nice by the cost of their government.

I intend to publish the names of each of you who wil not pledge to hold down my taxes. The grassroots of the Republican Party, including, duh, myself, and the vast majority of like-minded sheep taxpayers will stand in unity with arms outstretched with those of you who stand up for me.

please reply to this e-mail (ht the Reply button, dummy) if I can count on you to be my advocate in the State Capitol.

I am humbler than most,

Owen Robinson

Kane Putdown of McBride

Eugene Kane has a new post up at JSOnline. This will get all the wing-nuts who follow Kane like stalkers at night in a tizzy. I think it's pretty funny and right on. Here's the link. I especially like this line:

Actually, I'm here to say I had nothing to do with Jessica Mcbride taking a blow-torch to her career with an un-funny and insensitive comedy sketch that mentioned the sad death of a four-year old girl in Milwaukee.

Kane is right. He had nothing to do with McBride self-destructing, nor did the legion of liberal bloggers who found her rants sophomoric at best. It was all her own fault. She can point the finger all she wants, we know where it really should be pointed.

Sykes Hearts Jenna Jameson

Now we know what Charlie does when the wife and kids are not home, and it's dark and he's lonely. He reaches out to Jenna Jameson, porn star.

McBride Admits Wing-Nut Radio is Offensive

In a surprising twist, former WTMJ talk hack, Jessica McBride, admits that right-wing talk radio is offensive. She says this at her old blog:

I am disappointed because I fear that WTMJ has set a new standard for "offensiveness" on the radio that all conservative hosts in this town are now going to be judged by. I think that's a very dangerous precedent that should concern anyone who cares about a thriving conservative media.

Leaving aside the fact she was probably the most offensive of them all, it's amusing that she would admit that a thriving conservative media requires a certain level of offensiveness.

Thoughts on McBride Firing

Before I leave for a weekend of debauchery, helping a very old friend celebrate his 51st birthday (all right, maybe no debauch will occur, I am happily married ... and we are in our 50s, hard to move too fast), I did want to address my other reader and say that I feel no glee at the firing of Jessica McBride, former 620 WTMJ talk hack. I did not like the woman. It's probably not fair, because I've never met her personally. However, I did see and listen to her at the recent Blogger-o-rama and came away from the long distance encounter feeling as though I had been in the presence of one of Satan's minions (yes, I am not a believer, but Satan is also a literary figure).

Satan really is a cool name. Here, say it with me ... SATAN. Oooooh!

I'm going to admit something that I know will get a lot of nods of approval from my other reader (I think there is more than one) ... I can push the envelope at times. In that regard, I suppose it could be asked, why McBride? I think it's because she juxtaposed the death of a four-year old innocent with an attempt to garner some political points, and because deep down she comes across as a petty and mean person.

So, while I don't fully agree with her firing ... an apology to the general audience would have been sufficient ... she did bring this on herself and as she grew more and more shrill, the chances of her going bye bye grew and grew, IMHO.

Anyway, bye bye and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

She Stayed at Holiday Inn Express

New commercial starring Jessica McBride:

"I'm incapable of coherent thought and I have no moral or ethical standing, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night."

McBride, Again

Even when she tries to act journalistic, she still gets the facts wrong. The first part of the post is incoherent, then this:

I have no idea the immigration status of Lopez. Because of the fact he had several aliases and social security numbers, I called Kenosha SD today to ask if he is in this country legally. They referred me to DCI. I will try them tomorrow.

But I will say this: There is a reason for cops to ask people they pull over in traffic stops or their social security numbers.

Uh, not sure what the point of this post is because no one is required to carry a social security card. In fact, it is strongly recommended that social security cards not be carried to reduce the chances they will become lost, and consequently, reduce the risk of identity theft. Therefore, Lopez was under no obligation to show one.

McBride's obsession with illegal aliens makes me thankful I was not a Jew born in Nazi Germany and hiding from the Gestapo. With my luck, McBride would have been the German neighbor who blew the whistle.

Bush on Global Warming

This is too funny. Click here.

Revenge of the Telly Tubby

h/t The Liberal Avenger

No Tears for His Passing

Jerry Falwell is dead at the age of 73. While I am saddened for his family, I have no tears to shed for this person. Here are some choice Falwell quotes.


If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell (attributed: source unknown)

God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.

And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, "You helped this happen."

I sincerely believe that the collective efforts of many secularists during the past generation, resulting in the expulsion from our schools and from the public square, has left us vulnerable.

I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the terrorist, [but America's] secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture ... the result is not good.

Pat, did you notice yesterday the ACLU, and all the Christ-haters, People For the American Way, NOW, etc. were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress as they went out on the steps and called out on to God in prayer and sang "God Bless America" and said "let the ACLU be hanged"? In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time -- calling upon God.

I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!

AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.

The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.

If we are going to save America and evangelize the world, we cannot accommodate secular philosophies that are diametrically opposed to Christian truth ... We need to pull out all the stops to recruit and train 25 million Americans to become informed pro-moral activists whose voices can be heard in the halls of Congress.I am convinced that America can be turned around if we will all get serious about the Master's business. It may be late, but it is never too late to do what is right. We need an old-fashioned, God-honoring, Christ-exalting revival to turn American back to God. America can be saved!

It appears that America's anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men's movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening.

There is no separation of church and state. Modern US Supreme Courts have raped the Constitution and raped the Christian faith and raped the churches by misinterpreting what the Founders had in mind in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The Bible is the inerrant ... word of the living God. It is absolutely infallible,without error in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as well as in areas such as geography, science, history, etc.

But these things speak evil of those things, verse 10 [reading from Jude] which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Look at the Metropolitan Community Church today, the gay church, almost accepted into the World Council of Churches. Almost, the vote was against them. But they will try again and again until they get in, and the tragedy is that they would get one vote. Because they are spoken of here in Jude as being brute beasts, that is going to the baser lust of the flesh to live immorally, and so Jude describes this as apostasy. But thank God this vile and satanic system will one day be utterly annihilated and there'll be a celebration in heaven.

The Jews are returning to their land of unbelief. They are spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Savior.

Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them.

I do not believe the homosexual community deserves minority status. One's misbehavior does not qualify him or her for minority status. Blacks, Hispanics, women, etc., are God-ordained minorities who do indeed deserve minority status.

We're fighting against humanism, we're fighting against liberalism ... we are fighting against all the systems of Satan that are destroying our nation today ... our battle is with Satan himself.

Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan.

The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews.

AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharoah's chariotters.

You'll be riding along in an automobile. You'll be the driver perhaps. You're a Christian. There'll be several people in the automobile with you, maybe someone who is not a Christian. When the trumpet sounds you and the other born-again believers in that automobile will be instantly caught away -- you will disappear, leaving behind only your clothes and physical things that cannot inherit eternal life. That unsaved person or persons in the automobile will suddenly be startled to find the car suddenly somewhere crashes.... Other cars on the highway driven by believers will suddenly be out of control and stark pandemonium will occur on ... every highway in the world where Christians are caught away from the drivers wheel.

Guam Reparations

As always, an issue being trumpeted by the simpletons that make up a large portion of the right side of the cheddarsphere isn’t as simple as they claim. This time, Fred at Real Debate, Wiggy (though his post is more funny) and I’m sure there are others, are up in arms over legislation before Congress to pay reparations of "... about $200 million in compensation and grant programs for Guam residents, including $25,000 payments on behalf of residents who died during the Japanese occupation and smaller payments for injury and forced labor." How dare we pay for atrocities committed by the Japanese occupations forces, they chorus. Oddly enough, according to Fred and Wiggy, our very own one-man travel agency, F. James Sensenbrenner has signed onto this bill.

Sensenbrenner’s support caused me to dig just a little deeper (this is where most of the right-wingers always fall just a bit short) and I found a few additional items.

The reason Guam is seeking these reparations is because the United States unilaterally forgave Japan’s war debt when they signed the official peace reaty in 1951, which precludes any chance of Guam approaching Japan for reparations.

A similar bill made it out of committee during the 109th Congress, a Congress then dominated by Republicans. It never made it to vote because the 109th Congress was adjourned.

The bill apparently has bi-partisan support.

There has been bluster on the right that the only people that should be recognized are the troops that liberated Guam from Japanese occupation. What these simpletons ignore is the Chamarros, the indigenous people of Guam, protected American serviceman after the island was conquered, many forfeiting their lives to keep the location of the hidden troops secret. Additionally, Japanese treatment of the Chamarros was especially brutal, with public executions not unusual.

To argue this bill is just another Democtratic gifting of taxpayer money is a lie … something the right-wing of the cheddarsphere has become all to expert at ... Republicans support this too.

Jessica's Hissy Fit

I can't help myself. Jessica McBride is at it again. This was a recent post of hers:

Noticed this name on the guest house for the dinner at the White House with the Queen:

David Gregory, NBC News correspondent, and Beth Wilkinson (wife). Reminds me of the media chowing down at the governor's mansion with Doyle and then freaking out when Scott Walker gives reporters a couple of press passes to tourist attractions.

Did NBC pay the White House back for the chow?

While the post is beyond sophomoric, I couldn't resist answering her question. NBC White House correspondent, David Gregory, was probably invited to the White House dinner for the Queen because he has written favorably about the Bush administration. So favorably, in fact, that he was awarded Best White House Correspondent for coverage of President Bush’s first 100 days in office by the conservative Media Research Center. You know, the group headed by chief wing-nut hack, L. Brent Bozell III.

Regardless, you know what the real issue is here, don’t you? The real issue is that Jessica didn’t receive the invitation.

From a source deep within WTMJ, here is what Jessica really wrote (heavily edited before it hit her blog ... sentence fragments have been filled in for easier readability):

Noticed this name on the guest house for the dinner at the White House with the Queen:

David Gregory, NBC News correspondent, and Beth Wilkinson (wife). Why was he and that little hussy of a wife invited (yeah, she works for Fannie Mae … you know, that group that provides help to those minority folks to buy homes, as though their tenements weren’t good enough for them ... they're probably a gay or Muslim front group anyway).

I can’t believe I wasn’t invited. My husband, Paul, has been the top conservative in Wisconsin and would have been Attorney General if not for Xoff, Owen Robinson’s wife and you-know- who’s money. He and I are doing all we can for the war effort at home, giving our brave troops the encouragement they need to die for their country. And besides, haven’t I always said that the President is my hero. I’m his … what’s the word … oh yeah, bestest supporter.

And, I’m on the radio almost every day taking on any liberal my producer thinks I might be able to handle, and I am working hard to indoctrinate the young journalists at the UWM in the ways of journalism … no objectivity needed, just the conservative facts.

This entire thing reminds me of the media chowing down at the governor's mansion with Doyle (again, I wasn’t invited) and then freaking out when Scott Walker gives reporters a couple of press passes to tourist attractions (hey, I didn’t get any of those either).

Did NBC pay the White House back for the chow? I bet WTMJ would. Hint, hint.

Why is She Teaching?

The ignorance and stupidity of this woman is astounding. Jessica McBride links to the story of a young girl stoned to death for falling in love with a boy outside her religious faith. McBride titles the post “The Religion of Peace,” which she and others on the right use as code for Islam.

Of course, if she had read just a bit further, she would have discovered that the young girl belonged to a minority Kurdish religious group called Yezidi, not Islam. The boy she loved is a Sunni Muslim.

Of course, in the pea brain that is McBride’s, any group not Christian or Jewish is probably Muslim and not worthy of respect ... just a tinge of racism, don't you think?

Why is this woman teaching journalism? She can’t even get her facts straight.

Hilton to Attend Jail

In a nod to my friend, James … all I can say is ... there might be a God.

LOS ANGELES -- A judge sentenced Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail Friday for violating her probation, putting the brakes on the hotel heiress' famous high life.

Hilton, who parlayed her name and relentless partying into worldwide notoriety, must go to jail on June 5 and she will not be allowed any work release, no furloughs, no use of an alternative jail and no electronic monitoring in lieu of jail, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled after a hearing.

Thugs, Again?

I’m not defending Michael McGee’s comments regarding Charlie Sykes and the death of his mother. Her death was a tragedy and though I have a low regard for the man, he and his family did not deserve what McGee dished out and I do believe condolences should be offered to him and his family.

However, I could not help but continue to be bemused by local conservative bloggers. If they only spent half the time they do following the exploits of Eugene Kane and Michael McGee, there might indeed be world peace and everyone might just get along. Seriously though, the preoccupation shown does cause this blogger to wonder what else is on their agenda. This blogger does know what’s on the agenda of the person who wrote the following comment regarding the McGee flack:

that is the problem the people of that district ie the people who have supported that family all these years are most likely saying "Right on Mr McGee" "Isn't it great how mad he makes those white folks"I am willing to bet in the long run nothing will come from this just due to the fact the people of that district have such low standards when it comes to the people they choose to represent them

Keep fighting the good fight but I have a feeling your are trying to sweep back the ocean.

Shades of Jessica McBride’s “thugs” comment. Judging by the grammar used and the low regard he shows for the voters in the 6th District, Chris (of the former Spotted Horse 2) embraces standards similar to McGee’s and McBride’s.

Lizard Brains

This story about clown-evangelist, Kent Hovind (Dr. Dino), reminded me of Scott Jensen, disgraced former Assembly Speaker, who was convicted of three felonies back in March 2006. Hovind pleaded that the judge’s decision could ruin his life (though earlier in his trial he said he needn’t answer to anyone but God), just as Jensen did. The difference is that in a travesty of justice, Jensen remains free. What is fair about this, especially considering the carnival conviction of Georgia Thompson, who was sent straight away to prison and who was later acquitted of all charges because they were found to be completely without merit?

Hovind (and Jensen) are caricatures for what is conservatism in this country. The ideas of conservatism are but magical mystery tours designed to avert the American public eye from conservative corruption and conservative lust for power. The list of crimes includes illegal wiretapping, removal of habeus corpus, torture, the loss of innocent Iraqi lives, the loss of the lives of 3500+ brave American soldiers, etc. Conservatism's nonsense is further spewed by Goebbels-like talk show hosts that nightly fill the meager minds of the sheep (read conservative knot-heads like Jessica McBride) with gibberish, comfortable in the knowledge that they will blindly continue grazing on their leaves of lies.

Ah, then there is Jessica McBride ... Our very own Eva Braun, a half-wit follower of Bush who spouts childish platitudes in similar fashion to the former German dictator’s luscious dimwit. When she is not race-baiting (did you know that 40% of her most recent posts had to do with minorities ... almost always in a negative light), she's vomiting up crazy ideas like launching a preemptive strike on Iran. Brave talk for someone who won’t have to fight. Let’s inflame the region even more than it is already and likely cause the deaths of countless innocent Iranians (Would they be classified as thugs, I wonder?) in addition to the lost lives of our helpless troops. Helpless, because they only go where ordered, they can’t help that their commander-in-chief is the village idiot.

I’ve tried to avoid saying this previously, but Jessica, please enlist. I’m sure Stars and Stripes could find a position for you.

Anyway, here’s what I found about Hovind. There is yet justice in this country.

Kent Hovind, the evangelist who styles himself "Dr. Dino" and runs the Creation Science Evangelism ministry as well as Dinosaur Adventure Land, a small creationist theme park in Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on January 19, 2007. In November 2006, a federal jury found Hovind guilty of fifty-eight charges, including failing to pay payroll taxes for his employees, structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and "corruptly endeavor[ing] to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws" in a number of ways. He was detained in jail until his sentencing, although his wife Jo Hovind, who was found guilty of forty-four charges, was allowed to remain free.

At the sentencing, the Pensacola News-Journal (January 20, 2007) reported, Hovind adopted a meek demeanor, telling the judge, "I stand here in great fear of the power of this court. Your decision can destroy my life, my ministry and my grandchildren." But recordings of his telephone conversations from the jail, played in court, told a different story: Hovind accused the Internal Revenue Service, the judge, and the prosecutor of violating the law in prosecuting him, and referred to unspecified things he could do "to make their lives miserable." In handing down the sentence, the judge explained that Hovind's troubles were due to his "refusing to accept what the law is." In addition to ten years in prison and three years of probation, Hovind's sentence also included paying over $600,000 in restitution to the IRS.


Who was the last evolutionist arrested for bilking people of their money? Hmmm.

Sorry, They Weren't Heroes

It’s been a couple weeks since the Virginia Tech massacre. I had this thought some time back, but resisted putting it down into words until tonight. No reason, just finally got to it.

Why were the flags at half mast for the victims of this shooting? I’m not insensitive to what happened, it was an awful tragedy. But if we are going to fly flags at half mast for these “heroes,” then using that rationale, why are we not flying flags at half mast for each and every one of those soldiers slain overseas in that lie called the war in Iraq. In fact, why haven’t we been flying flags at half mast for the duration of this god-damned tragedy?

I’m saddened by the loss of life at Virginia Tech. But let’s get real here. Bush ignores the realities of war overseas so as to deflect attention, but recognizes tragedy in our midst because it can be used as ammunition by scumbags like Newt Gingrich to blame liberals.

Another Not So Very Christian Christian

Working for Change

Blog Summit 2007

I met Mike Mathias (Pundit Nation), James Wigderson (Wigderson Library and Pub) at the Starbucks on 16th and Wisconsin. James got his exercise in early by walking to the wrong Starbucks at 6th and Wisconsin, and then bravely hiking back up Wisconsin to our location. That he made it unscathed says something about goings on east of 124th Street.

Seriously, it was good to see Mike (only the second time in 19 some years) and James (first time in 19 some years). Mike, James and I were contemporaries at UWM. Mike and I wrote together for the UWM Post, while James was involved with the UWM Times, which I think is now defunct, not sure. Though tensions often were high between the opposing political camps at UWM, I’d like to think that Mike, James and I kept it a little more real than some of the others.

Anyway, we made our way to the event and following are some thoughts:

James made it walking up three flights of stairs to the event. Way to go!

I enjoyed meeting Owen Robinson (Boots and Sabers). Owen is a current West Bend resident, which happens to be where I grew up, went to high school, etc. I listened to Owen and was impressed by his speaking ability, and that though he is as partisan as they come, he came down squarely on the side of all bloggers, defending their rights to have a voice. However, his analysis of Eugene Kane was waaaay off. I liked Kane. The first time I ever met him, though I did not have an opportunity to talk with him. I liked him because he was unapologetic and spoke his mind. Apparently speaking ones mind is only relegated to conservative speech according to some conservatives.

I met Dave Casper (Ask Me Later) and Aaron Kreel (Subject To Change), two other conservative bloggers, and liked them immediately. I didn’t get much chance to speak with Dave, but our shared thoughts about Ms McBride are enough to acknowledge him as a kindred spirit, if not ideologically. Aaron is a nice guy. He showed me pictures of his newborn. Very cute kiddo. I wish him the best.

I also saw Phelony Jones (The Confidentials) from a distance. She looked, as she is wont to say, very sassy. Unfortunately for us (or wisely) she left the proceedings early.

I also had brief conversations with Patrick of Badger Blogger, Tom McMahon and Dean Mundy. All pretty decent people … for conservatives (just kidding, guys). I have to agree with Owen on this, I find myself liking a number of conservative bloggers (though I suspect if I had met Fred Dooley, my opinion of him would not change).

Oh, and Brian Fraley (Daily Takes) had nothing to say but tired clichés. He is a wiener.

And Jessica McBride is as annoying in person as she is in print and/or on the radio. She attempted to make a point about blogger diversity by pointing out conservatives were bloggers and … could you believe it, conservative women. Now, this is true, but she followed that up by stressing it this way (paraphrasing) … “can you believe it, a conservative woman” (referring to herself and just herself). Mike Plaisted came over later and said he liked the t-shirts I had made for Ms McBride’s benefit. He then pointed out her silliness (kind way to say she’s an obnoxious b—tch). I agreed, and said I had almost raised my hand to ask her if it was always about her … but in the interest of decorum had decided not to.

Anyway, she’s a wiener, too.

I also was glad to meet the aforementioned Plaisted, Sean Hackbarth (American Mind) and Cory Liebman, whose blog I have admired. I also spoke at length with Bert, a contributor at folkbum. He was ten years a reporter. I didn’t ask where. I should have. And, I got to share a moment with Renee Crawford. I liked her.

All in all, it was a pretty good time and I have to admit, I agreed with Charlie Sykes (just a couple times.)

Lastly, where was dad29? I would really like to have met him. And where was my erstwhile buddy, Chris of Spotted Horse fame? Oh well, one can’t have everything all the time.